Monday, December 7, 2009

Massacre at Pakistan mosque shows Taliban strength

Presenter, Man # 1Al Jazeera correspondent in Islamabad has learned that two Pakistani generals were among the people killed in the attack on an army Mosque in the military compound in Rawalpindi, near Islamabad.

Presenter, Woman # 1According to official sources, more than 40 people have been killed, and more than 83 others were injured. Five armed men attacked an army mosque in Rawalpindi during Friday prayers and opened fire on the worshipers.

Presenter, Man # 1Two of the armed men blew themselves up inside the Mosque, but three others were able to escape.

Reporter, Man # 2Once again, an explosion takes place in Rawalpindi. It has become difficult to count the number of times sensitive locations in this city were targeted. Rawalpindi is not only the former capital of Pakistan; it is also the main military headquarters of the Pakistan Armed Forces. It is the center of the military in a country in which the military establishment has a prominent status. Some of the problems there are local, but others are caused by regional and security factors. Perhaps the war in Afghanistan is the most important of these regional factors which explains why it’s very worrying for the Pakistani authorities. They did not hide their concern that increased military pressure on the Taliban in Afghanistan as was called for in the new American war strategy, may push them to go to Afghanistan. Explosions in Pakistan take place almost everyday, but they are still newsworthy due to the large material and human losses caused by them. In addition, these attacks affect the political and security situation in a country with a very strategic location, which explains why Pakistan has become a source of concern for NATO Forces in Afghanistan. Pakistan has become the epicenter of constant earthquakes that keep coming one after the other. The tribal region of Waziristan, the Karachi explosions, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Al Qaeda, and the Taliban as well as the drone attacks all reflect the instability of Pakistan for the past two years. Who is responsible for this? Perhaps, many elements are, including Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Pakistan. Any one negatively affected by the war on terror is a potential suspect. However, the identity of the real perpetrators will not be known, until the situation calms down, which may not happen any time soon.Palestinian Authority official loses Jerusalem residencyDubai TV, UAEPresenter, Woman # 1Israel continues to accelerate its policy of changing the demographics of occupied Jerusalem with the objective of maximizing the number of its Jewish citizens. The Israeli Haaretz newspaper reported that 4.580 Jerusalem residency cards were taken away from Palestinians in 2008. This is 21 times more than the number of Palestinians whose residency rights were stripped from them since 1967. This phenomenon was also highlighted by the European report that resulted in a Swedish draft resolution to declare East Jerusalem the capital of the future Palestinian State. From Jerusalem, our reporter Sheruq Assad.

Reporter, Woman # 1Khaled Abu Araefeh lives in the Damascus Gate neighborhood. He is the father of five. Israel revoked his Jerusalem residency, not because he is not living in Jerusalem or because he is not paying his taxes, but because of his political views. A year and a half ago, Israel arrested him along with another 60 others Palestinians in Jerusalem, including three Parliament members from the Palestinian legislative council representing Jerusalem. At the time, Khaled was a minster. He was in prison all that time, and just before he was released, he was surprised by the annulment of his Jerusalem residency permit. Now he is living in his home in Jerusalem, with the constant fear that Israel might expel him from the city at any moment.

Guest, Man # 1The former Minster of Interior, Bar-On gave us the option of staying in the Palestinian legislative council and government, or having our Jerusalem residency permits revoked. Our Jerusalem residency permits were stripped. No I do not know if I will be expelled from my home.

Reporter, Woman # 2The Jerusalem municipality has tried to prevent his sun Muhammad from acquiring his Jerusalem residency permit, and tried to prevent the construction of his new home.

Guest, Woman # 3They persecute us for our political views, and give us problems when we try to build our homes. All of their policies are designed to make us leave Jerusalem.

Reporter, Woman # 2In the eyes of Israel, the real battle is about demographics; Israel wishes to create new facts on the ground to shape the future peaceful settlement.

Guest, Man # 2The Israelis have a clear plan for Jerusalem, to be completed by 2020. They want to have an absolute Jewish majority and an Arab minority. How to get rid of the Arab population? Of course, by revoking Jerusalem residency cards from Palestinians, demolishing their homes, and expanding the Apartheid Wall. This explains why the Israeli policy in 2008, 2009 and 2010 will be harsher than it was in previous years.

Reporter, Woman # 2For the Palestinians, the battle for Jerusalem is a matter of survival and justice. For Israel it is a matter of imposing new facts on the ground by force. Time is of the essence. Shuruq Assad, Dubai Television, Ras Al A’maud Occupied Jerusalem. Israeli settlers clash with police over construction freezeIBA TV, IsraelSettlement leaders rejected a personal plea to respect the construction freeze in the territories during their meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Settlers vowed to continue confronting security forces sent to enforce the freeze, while Netanyahu reassured the Judea and Samaria mayors that the freeze would not exceed 10 months. Living in limbo: Palestinian refugees in LebanonAl Aqsa, GazaPresenter, Male #1More than 3,000 Palestinian refugees in Lebanon don’t have permanent residency cards, and they are being classified by the Lebanese government as “undocumented.” The refugees’ tragedy started to unfold in the aftermath of the 1970 Black September incidents in Jordan. During that year, many Palestinian refugees, who didn’t have an established residency status left Jordan and moved to Lebanon.

Reporter, Male #2While most Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are stripped of their basic human and civil rights, some don’t have residency rights. The Palestinian embassy tried to remedy the situation by issuing passports to some of the non-resident refugees. However, this added insult to the injury, as the Lebanese General Security Agency started to classify those with a Palestinian passport as “foreign nationals”, who must renew their residency permits once a year. This has added further humanitarian and financial burdens on non-resident Palestinians living in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Palestinian Human Rights Organizations in Lebanon, led by the Shahid and Hikuk organizations and the Human Development Center, held a press conference at the headquarters of the Journalist Guild in Beirut in order to shed light on the refugee issue.

Guest, Male #3Anyone, who was issued a passport by the Palestinian Authority, is now classified as a foreign national, as opposed to a non-resident refugee, and is subject to Lebanese laws, regarding residency status and visa permits. If that person overstays his visa, he will be deported, imprisoned, fined, or all three combined. As far as the deportation issue is concerned: Where will they deport him to? This is major issue, which we discussed with the Lebanese General Security Agency.

Guest, Male #5The passport, which was issued to some non-resident Palestinian refugees by the Palestinian Authority, is a legal document. There’s no doubt about it. It’s worth mentioning that the passport itself is a document that identifies its bearer. However, the passport itself doesn’t grant its bearer the right to return to the Palestinian territories.

Reporter, Male #2Without residency ID cards, the Palestinian refugees have no legal rights to live in Lebanon, and any effort to resolve this issue may hit a procedural stalemate due to the complexity of the legal process.

Guest, Male #4Let it be known that the identification card, which was issued to us by the Lebanese General Security Agency, is not recognized by the Lebanese army, especially during traffic stops at checkpoints. In many occasions, our children are stopped and told that their ID cards are not recognized as a legal document by the Lebanese State. They encounter this problem on a daily basis. Lebanon is a country that defends human rights. The Lebanese constitution, in its preamble, calls for the respect of human rights. Therefore, we herby demand Lebanon to honor what it has pledged to do and bring justice to this marginalized class of Palestinian refugees.

Reporter, Male #2Meanwhile, Palestinian Human Rights organizations have pledged to follow up on the issue and find a solution for the refugee problem. They also called for public protests, with the first wave of sit-ins to be staged at the beginning of next month in front of the headquarters of Lebanese Ministry of Interior. Ibrahim Arab, al-Aqsa Channel, Beirut. Israel lifts ban on importing Arabic booksNew TV, LebanonPresenter, Female #1Israel is trying to con Lebanon into normalizing their cultural relations. What is the official Lebanese reaction? Darin Da’bus investigates in this special report.

Reporter, Female #2There has been some news, indicating that Israeli goods are being marketed and sold, under national brand names, in several Arab markets. This news comes despite the official ban on Israeli goods in Arab markets, as Israel is being blamed for closing the door to peace. The Hebrew State is seeking to penetrate further into the Arab market, through its new slogan, dubbed:” Lifting the cultural siege” imposed on the Palestinians living in the 1948 territories. According to the Israeli Maarif newspaper, the Israeli Ministerial Committee for Legislation decided on Sunday to support a bill, proposed by members of the Knesset, allowing the importation of books published in Lebanon, Syria, and the Gulf region. Israel is currently banning the importation of books published in countries, which it has not signed peace agreement with. What is the Lebanese reaction to this latest Israeli proposal?

Guest, Male #1The issue is very clear to the Lebanese government. Our decision is final: We will not deal with Israel under any circumstances or in any way. This is our fundamental, unequivocal, and indisputable position. Whatever the Israeli government is doing has nothing to do with us, and it’s one sided.

Guest, Male #2Up until five years ago, books that were published in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab countries, were allowed in the Palestinian territories, both into the 1948 and the 1967 territories. Israel banned the importation of books published in Lebanon and Syria due to the severance of relations between these countries and Israel. We don’t want to establish new relations with Israel.

Reporter, Female #2“Israel is an enemy state” but can we strip our people in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip of their right to read Arabic books?

Guest, Male #1The Arab citizen has the right and is entitled to stay connected with his Arabic culture and ideology.

Guest, Male #2We will not deal directly with the Israelis, including Israeli libraries and book stores. We will deal exclusively with the Arab population inside Israel. It’s very important for the Arab public to have access to Arabic literature and books. Some Arabic-language books are banned in Israel. It appears that there is a rise in book-piracy inside Israel. Many books were reprinted inside the “Green Line” without complying with copyright laws. Some of these books are best sellers.

Reporter, Female #2The proposal allows the Israeli security authorities to reject the importation of a certain book or journal for content that could be used for incitement, such as literature denying the Holocaust or prompting terrorism. From the outside, the Israeli proposal seems to be granting more freedoms for the Palestinians in the 1948 territories. However, from the inside, the proposal aims to normalize relations between Israel and the Arabs. Darin Da’bus, New TV.Two million Iraqis are disabledBBC- ArabicPresenter, Male #1In Iraq, people with special needs are suffering from many difficulties. That is due to the low average income and the limited financial support they receive.

Reporter, Male #1According to reports by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, those who have been physically or mentally disabled by the successive wars in Iraq since the 80s and the violent events that have prevailed in the country since 2003 constitute the majority of the country’s two million handicapped persons. The Iraqi authority classifies the handicapped in two categories. Handicapped military servicemen receive retirement salaries that are at least 150 dollars every month; while disabled civilians only receive rehabilitation sessions that could help them earn a living and a monthly stipend of 50 dollars on average, which is only granted to those who are 90% disabled.

Guest, Male #1The two categories of handicapped people are classified based on their ability to work: the first includes handicapped who can work or partially work; and the second includes those who are unable to work at all. The handicapped unable to work are covered by a salary from the social security fund.

Reporter, Male #1To make ends meet, many handicapped people are forced to do work that is unsuitable for them. Hassan used to be a soldier in the second gulf war in 1991, during which he lost both hands. But his handicap does not prevent him from trying to make a livelihood. He opened a small store in front of his home to sell sweets and groceries. Despite that, Hassan is still suffering financially.

Guest, Male #2I don’t make enough. All I make is about 120,000, sometimes a little bit more. I have a big family of 8.

Reporter, Male #1Through a special fund, the Iraqi government provides some kind of assistance to the born handicapped, such as the blind and the mentally disabled. But unofficial reports by Iraqi political groups indicated that corruption in the administration has reached this sector as well, especially in the last two years. But the most important complaint, according to relevant sources, is that there is no law that guarantees rights for the handicapped to help them integrate into society, especially since the program for legal protection for the handicapped has been lying in the drawers of the Iraqi parliament for the last 4 years.

Guest, Male #3This law organizes the needs of the handicapped, guarantees their demand for work, and covers a decent stipend for them.

Reporter, Male #1Since 2003, nearly 70 civil organizations have been founded in Iraq to support the handicapped. Many of these organizations try to rehabilitate the disabled professionally and mentally through special workshops. But according to the experts, these efforts have had little influence in a country where 7% of the population is disabled. From the capital Baghdad, Khudair Houssein, BBC. The Saudi role in the war in YemenANB TV, EnglandHost, Man # 1We are hosting today, the chief editor of the Arab Observer Magazine, Abdel Aziz Al Khames from the Saudi Kingdom, and the political analyst and Journalist Hamed Ghul Sharifi, from Iran. Abdel Aziz Al Khames, you were here with Hamed Ghul Sharifi a while ago and we were taking about the possibility of Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the war. Today, we are no longer speculating; Saudi Arabia is directly involved in the war in Yemen. Can you tell us objectively, did Saudi Arabia want this kind of war and confrontation or was it dragged into it?

Guest, Man # 1I think that this war was imposed on the Saudi regime. The war is between rebel groups and the Yemeni government, and they want to expand the conflict which explains why they are clashing with Saudi forces on the border. However, and this is my personal opinion, Saudi Arabia benefited from this war. Saudi Arabia has been trying to establish a buffer zone 10 miles-deep between it and Yemen. People and drugs have always been smuggled through the Saudi-Yemeni border, and Al Qaeda has used this smuggling route to move explosives and people from Saudi Arabia to Yemen. It seems the Saudi government views the war as a good opportunity to clean the area and secure its southern borders.

Host, Man # 1I asked Abdel Aziz Al Khames as a Saudi national; I want ask you the same question as an Iranian national. There were also rumors that Iran is involved in the war, and later the Yemeni government accused Iran of directly interfering in Yemeni affairs. This also comes as Iranian officials started talking about the plight of the Shiites in Yemen. Some even say that Iranian military warships are now in the area, under the pretext of fighting pirates. This news came as Yemen said that it captured a ship transporting weapons. They said that the weapons went from Iran to Eritrea and from there to Yemen. Can you tell us, frankly, is Iran involved in the war in Yemen?

Guest, Man # 2 If you were to ask me does Iran interfere in Lebanon or Iraq to strengthen its influence? Then I would have said yes, 100%. But in Yemen, Iran has not interfered directly so far, however there is sympathy towards the Shiites in Yemen. You can see this sympathy in the Iranian media and it is being voiced by different Iranian civic institutions. Tell us why Iranians are sympathetic to what is happening in Yemen.Obama's Surge: The Real ReasonLink TV, USAEvery year on the anniversary of September 11, the same question pops up: where is Osama bin Laden? And for eight years various pundits, who hardly speak a word of Pashto, Dari, Urdu or any other language spoken in the region, play the guessing game, placing him somewhere along the Pakistani-Afghan border.

This week, President Obama took Gen. Stanley McChrystal's advice and ordered a surge in the war in Afghanistan by sending 30,000 more American troops there to help battle the Taliban insurgency. In a speech at the US Military Academy at West Point on Tuesday, the President set out what he said was a new strategy to bring the war to a "successful conclusion" and reverse the momentum of Taliban gains.

The President did not mention Osama bin Laden, a frequent target of his criticism during the campaign when he criticized President Bush.

"We will kill bin Laden, we will crush al Qaeda. That has to be our biggest national security priority," then candidate Barack Obama said during an October 2008 debate.

If the US goal remains to "crush" al Qaeda, then perhaps many Americans would not be as upset with Obama's Afghan surge; however, this is not the case.

As it stands, there will be nearly 100,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, along with about 47,000 from allies. This is not to mention contractors, who already outnumber U.S. forces in the war-ravaged country. According to credible intelligence estimates, 100 al Qaeda operatives are in Afghanistan, and 300 more have fled to Pakistan. As for the Taliban, conflicting estimates put their numbers anywhere between 7,000 to 25,000. Therefore, this build up does not make sense, and the numbers do not add up.

Also, why do the United States and its allies need close to 150,000 troops if they can negotiate with the Taliban? Mr. Karzai does!

"We must talk to the Taliban as an Afghan necessity. The fight against terrorism and extremism cannot be won by fighting alone," Karzai said. "Personally, I would definitely talk to Mullah Omar. Whatever it takes to bring peace to Afghanistan, I, as the Afghan president, will do it."

Meanwhile, President Obama has increased US pressure on Pakistan to fight the Taliban in its territories. As an inducement, and a measure of heightened American concern for Pakistan, he has also helped bring a big increase in aid to the country, including $7.5 billion of non-military aid over five years, approved recently by Congress. The problem is that there is no certainty or confidence that the current Pakistani regime is going to last; Pakistan's president Asif Ali Zardari is one of the country's most discredited politicians and linked to corruption. There is a major question mark on who will be replacing him or what sort of a government Pakistan will have after his imminent fall.

President Obama has not been forthcoming with the American people. He should come clean and explain the real reason behind the surge. It's not because of bin Laden, al-Qaeda, or the Taliban. The real reason is Pakistan, a failed state with nuclear warheads!